Graft charges cloud future for Sarkozy
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="France">France</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="Nicolas">Nicolas</span> <span word="Sarkozy">Sarkozy</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="charged">charged</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="corruption">corruption</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="peddling">peddling</span>, <span word="French">French</span> <span word="prosecutors">prosecutors</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dramatic">dramatic</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="criminal">criminal</span> <span word="probe">probe</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="wreck">wreck</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="hopes">hopes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="comeback">comeback</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="Sarkozy">Sarkozy</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="questioned">questioned</span> <span word="for">for</span> 15 <span word="hours">hours</span>, <span word="marking">marking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="ex">ex</span>-<span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="custody">custody</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="criminal">criminal</span> <span word="investigation">investigation</span>.</p><p><span word="Sarkozy">Sarkozy</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="detained">detained</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="station">station</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Paris">Paris</span> <span word="suburb">suburb</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="suspected">suspected</span> <span word="attempt">attempt</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="illegally">illegally</span> <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="judicial">judicial</span> <span word="proceedings">proceedings</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="raft">raft</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="colorful">colorful</span> <span word="corruption">corruption</span> <span word="cases">cases</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="implicated">implicated</span> <span word="in">in</span>.</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lengthy">lengthy</span> <span word="questioning">questioning</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="appear">appear</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="judge">judge</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span>"<span word="mis">mis</span> <span word="en">en</span> <span word="examen">examen</span>" - <span word="put">put</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="formal">formal</span> <span word="investigation">investigation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="amounts">amounts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="charged">charged</span>, <span word="based">based</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="preliminary">preliminary</span> <span word="evidence">evidence</span> – <span word="the">the</span> <span word="prosecution">prosecution</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="statement">statement</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="released">released</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="investigation">investigation</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="convicted">convicted</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="charges">charges</span>, <span word="Sarkozy">Sarkozy</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> 10 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="prison">prison</span>.</p><p>"<span word="This">This</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="charges">charges</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> ... <span word="and">and</span> <span word="furthermore">furthermore</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="magistrates">magistrates</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lawyer">lawyer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="president">president</span>," <span word="Prime">Prime</span> <span word="Minister">Minister</span> <span word="Manuel">Manuel</span> <span word="Valls">Valls</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="judicial">judicial</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fully">fully</span> <span word="independent">independent</span> <span word="manner">manner</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="peacefully">peacefully</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="presumption">presumption</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="innocence">innocence</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="respected">respected</span>," <span word="Valls">Valls</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="BFM">BFM</span> <span word="television">television</span>.</p>
页:
[1]